The article highlights hope as a central virtue in the life of Father Dehon, a source of strength and resilience in the face of trials. Rooted in faith in God and in the Sacred Heart of Jesus, this hope guided him in his vocation, his social commitment, and the founding of his congregation. At his school, we are invited to cultivate a spirituality of hope, especially in times of crisis.
Summary:
The article explores in depth the central role of hope in the life of Father Léon Dehon, founder of the Priests of the Sacred Heart of Jesus (SCJ). In the context of the Church’s 2025 Jubilee and the centenary of Father Dehon’s death, the author emphasizes that hope was not merely a source of consolation for him, but a spiritual and social driving force. The study begins with a distinction between ordinary human hope—often uncertain—and biblical hope, founded on God’s faithfulness. Drawing from the Old and New Testaments, the author shows how hope is intrinsically linked to faith in divine promises and is fully embodied in the person of Christ.
For Dehon, this hope translated into total trust in God and in the Sacred Heart of Jesus, even in the midst of trials (opposition to his vocation, the foundation of his congregation, and his social engagement). He saw his work as a participation in redemption, carried by prayer, reparation, and merciful love. Despite challenges—criticism, slander, poverty—he held fast to faith in the future, inspired by his vision of the Reign of the Sacred Heart in souls and societies. He remains a model of perseverance, asserting that only hope makes it possible to overcome contemporary despair.
The conclusion calls each of us to cultivate a spirituality of hope, rooted in union with God and in active trust, to face both personal and collective crises with light and peace. Father Dehon’s example thus becomes a call to live as witnesses of hope, at the school of the Sacred Heart.
You can access the full article in French by clicking the link below:
À l’Ecole de l’espérance avec le père Dehon
